Runaway
by WalkWithTheShadows
Summary: Book One of my Rebellion Series. Sara Sidle is a vampire... and someone is out to destroy her kind. Rated M. Disclaimer - I do not own CSI or it's characters, I'm just borrowing them for a little while. *ON INDEFINITE HIATUS*
1. Prologue

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful beta SIDLE77, I couldn't have written this without your help and guidance.

A/N 2: This is my first try at writing something that is quite AU. First try at writing something about supernatural creatures too =D. I hope you like it. Rated M for gore and... other content xD

* * *

Runaway - Prologue

The night air was cool and crisp, heavy mist descending over the desolate cemetery. The orange light from the street lamp was barely strong enough to penetrate the thick fog, but it illuminated the pathway into the Victorian church with an eerie glow. The small group of people wearing hooded cloaks stood at the entrance chatting quietly before being led into the building by a tall, rather frightening looking man. His eyes sparkled with a minute flicker of malevolence as he strolled through the hallway.

The crowd followed him into the church; those at the front of the queue slipped into the pews in an orderly fashion. One by one they sat down in their chosen positions, all awaiting the arrival of their leader. An instant hush fell over the group when the church's door opened with a loud creak that echoed off the old brick walls and fabulously restored stained glass. Another man entered the room wearing a bright red cloak, his face shielded by the hood. He walked to the alter and then to the pulpit. The man removed his hood and on his signal everyone else removed theirs.

A young man around eighteen years old sat in the first pew. He stared straight at his leader, showing a slight hint of fear. His forehead shone with a thin sheet of cold sweat and his eyes drifted from the pulpit to the floor and back again several times. He watched as the older man approached and then stopped right in front of him, extending his right hand. The younger man took it, stood, and slowly made his way to the pulpit.

"Comrades, tonight we are here for a very special reason. Tonight we are here to induct a new member. The youngest member of our dear family...please my son, step up."

The young man took several shaky steps forward. He faced the small audience, his lips curling into a nervous smile.

"Son, today you are a man. At eighteen years of age, it is your time to be sworn to your vow. We, as you know, have all sworn that at manhood, we will do all in our power to rid the world of these demons...to rid the world of the vampire." The crowd gasped at the word "Vampire" as if their leader had said the most horrendous word known to man.

He continued, "These evil, blood sucking creatures are not of this world. They need to be destroyed. They are the devil's helpers. They kill or recruit our sons, daughters, wives, sisters, brothers...they need to be stopped." The man's face contorted in anger, his voice laced with deadly venom as he raised his fist and smashed it against the polished wooden bible stand.

The crowd roared their approval. The teenager nodded his head in agreement.

"Son, do you agree to follow by our rule, that you shall do all in your power to eradicate the vampire species from our world no matter what?"

"I do."

"Do you promise that on the consequence of death...you will slaughter any vampire that approaches you? Do you vow to protect the world from these unholy monsters!?" he shouted, turning to face the crowd and then to stare directly into his subordinate's eyes.

"I do."

The boy's voice had raised as well, not to a threatening level however, but loud enough for everyone to know he was serious.

"With this pendant, you will be recognized as one of us, a vampire hunter...a protector of man." The older gentleman placed a necklace around the young man's neck. The pendant was silver, with a symbol of a wooden stake and crucifix depicted in the centre.

"I promise with my life, Thomas. I will never let any vampire live."

The crowd cheered, Thomas raised the young man's hand in glory.

The boy did not realize exactly what he had gotten himself in to.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Thank you to my wonderful beta SIDLE77, I couldn't have written this without your help and guidance.

**A/N 2:** This is my first try at writing something that is quite AU. First try at writing something about supernatural creatures too =D. I hope you like it. Rated M for gore and... other content xD

**Full Summary: **Not one of the members of Las Vegas' graveyard shift CSI team would have believed that vampires truly existed until they found out that one of their own was one. They try to help her control her thirst, however it proves to be more difficult than they thought. Now they face a threat that they could never have imagined; a friend who has the overwhelming urge to kill, and another who has vowed to destroy her kind.

* * *

The evening sun dissolved into darkness over the city of Las Vegas. Bright neon beams now swarmed up into the city sky, silently beckoning for every tourist to leave their hotel rooms and enter one of the many casinos or night clubs.

Unfortunately, Gil Grissom had concluded, this event also called for every psychopath, sociopath and any other evil that the aptly named Sin City held, to come forth and spread their misery. Before he had become a crime scene investigator he would never have imagined that even half of the ways people killed each other were even possible. He found the phrase, "You learn something new every day," to be very appropriate for this city.

He walked along the corridors of the crime lab, heading directly for his office. The graveyard shift was about to start and he needed to collect the case slips to hand out to his team.

When he arrived, he was shocked to find a very amused looking Catherine Willows sitting on his desk.

"Uh, Cath? What are you doing here?" he asked, walking around to her, removing his glasses and setting them on the table as he did so.

"Well, I'm waiting on the arrival of my supervisor so I can begin my work. Oh, and I'm also here to tell you that one of our colleagues has not arrived yet.

"Oh, really? Who might that be?" His patience was wearing thin.

"Sara." Catherine's tone portrayed a hint of humour.

Gil's right eyebrow lifted in surprise. Catherine was right. Sara Sidle had not arrived yet. He found that incredibly odd, Sara was never late.

"I'll call her... now here." He handed her a case slip, "You have a _419 _in Henderson. Brass called and said it was unusually strange."

"Ooh fun!" she squealed sarcastically. "Who should I take with me?"

"You choose... I need to find Sara." Gil sat down and proceeded to lift his telephone receiver off its hook.

"Ah... all right. Catch you later." Catherine then left his office with a smirk on her face.

Gil had been in a reasonably good mood when he had arrived at the lab that night. However, after he picked up his case slips, that mood soon deteriorated. With Catherine's little charade and the disappearance of Sara, his frustration was hitting its peak. He needed Sara at work that evening. There had been a string of peculiar murders in the city recently, and every one of them had so far been unsolved. It was agitating everyone and his stress levels were at an all time high.

"_Hi! This is Sara. I'm unable to take your call at the moment, but if you leave your name and number, I'll get back to you as soon as I can." _

"Sara, its Grissom. Where are you? Look, I know you're tired, but I need you at the lab as soon as you can. There have been more murders similar to the current unsolved ones we have on the board. I have a feeling we may have a serial killer on our hands. We need everyone on this. Please, call me or get to the lab ASAP." He then hung up.

Gil let out a long sigh. Where was Sara? He knew that every time she thought she was ever going to be late, she called him. Why hadn't she done that? Worry was starting to overtake his senses.

He decided to get on with some paperwork while listening intently for a phone call from his absent subordinate. He watched the clock incessantly, if Sara didn't turn up in thirty minutes he would genuinely consider travelling to her apartment to check up on her. Was he over reacting? Maybe, but he knew that if he didn't and something was seriously wrong, he would never forgive himself.

* * *

Catherine meanwhile trailed the lab in search of Nick Stokes and Warrick Brown. She knew one of them would be able to partner with her on this case. She remembered that Greg Sanders was currently wrapping up a case of his own and with Sara nowhere to be found; she deduced that Nick and Warrick were her only remaining choices. She certainly knew that Gil was certainly not in the mood to put up with the current playful disposition she was in, so asking him if he was able to partner with her was out of the question. She walked into the break room and found the boys sitting on the sofa, knocking elbows over a video game.

"Oh you are so going down, man." That thick Texan drawl was laced with humour.

"Not a chance, Stokes," Warrick replied, shoving his right elbow into Nick's ribs causing him to be knocked off balance. The roar of the crowd in the game signalled to Catherine and Nick that Warrick had scored another point.

"That was unfair!" Nick screeched.

Catherine cleared her throat and perched herself on the doorframe. The foreign noise made the younger men turn around to stare at her.

"Do you really find it wise to be playing that game in here? I mean, didn't our dear supervisor yell at you once before for playing that on his time?"

Nick and Warrick's eyes glistened with mischief.

"Well, yeah, but he wasn't exactly in the best of moods when he did that," Nick explained.

"Hmm... I wouldn't say he's in the best of moods tonight either, Nicky." Catherine's eyes sparkled, revelling in the looks of discomfort that passed over her younger friend's faces.

Warrick quickly switched off the television and Nick flicked the switch for the game's console. Catherine laughed.

"C'mon boys, we have work to do. Grissom said there is another _419_ out in Henderson. He said I could choose who could come with me, but seeing as you two are in here, clearly finished with whatever it was you are doing, you are _both_coming with me."

The two men flashed a fake, 'I'm offended,' expression at her and then followed her out into the lab's parking lot. They all climbed into the same Denali and Catherine drove them off to their destination.

* * *

When they arrived, they left the vehicle and slowly made their way up the garden path until they reached the house. A sinister atmosphere hung over the premises. They could smell the death in the air; it was stronger than what they were used to. Catherine noticed at least three squad cars surrounding the scene, the red and blue flashing lights illuminating the small cul-de-sac they were in. Several officers were scattered throughout the street, knocking on doors and questioning the residents. Catherine then spotted Jim Brass at the entrance to the house in question.

"So...what have we got then?" she asked him.

"It's an ugly one tonight, Catherine. Be glad you brought Nick and Warrick." Brass told her.

Catherine scrunched up her nose in revulsion "Okay... well, we better get started then."

All four entered the house; the stench hit them with a vengeance, it was like they had walked into a brick wall and the vile odour clung to their nostrils. There was blood everywhere. They noticed the bodies; one was a woman, no older than thirty and the other was a man roughly around the same age. The male's body was the worst. It looked like a savage animal had torn him apart. The torso was shredded, and the throat was slit.

Nick took a closer look, "There looks to be teeth marks on the throat. Puncture wounds near the jugular and carotid. I guess dead, wasn't dead enough."

Catherine looked utterly disgusted, "Yeah, well she only has what seems to be puncture wounds to her carotid artery." Catherine pointed to the woman's throat.

"Whoever did this did not get away from here without being covered in blood," Warrick stated. "It would be impossible to leave here without stepping in it and impossible to leave without it being all over your clothes. Someone must have seen someone leave the premises after the fact. Or maybe there is some evidence that we can find outside, you know, blood drops leading from the scene."

"Okay... Warrick, you take the perimeter. Nick, you check upstairs and I'll stay here." Catherine then knelt down beside the female victim, and proceeded to photograph the scene.

Warrick nodded and left the building while Nick took another look around the room, shaking his head as he made his way to the stair case.

Warrick ran a hand over his face when he stepped out into the garden. He glanced over the windows and the front door to the house looking for any signs for forced entry. He couldn't find any. He sighed, long and deep. Never before had he seen a crime scene so bloody. He remembered back to something Sara had said to him, "_Smiling, it suppresses the gag reflex," _or something along those lines. He snorted a laugh; he never thought that to be true until that night.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of something snapping. It sounded like a twig or a branch of a tree being stepped on, or broken under some weight. He swooped around, his eyes darting from the building to the alleyways and to the other houses. He could not see anyone, or anything that could have made that noise. His breathing increased in a slight panic but he tried to settle his nerves, silently convincing himself that it was just a bird or animal that had broken or stepped on the branch.

In the shadows at the right hand side of the crime scene, a figure stood watching the commotion. Her bright electric blue eyes zipped around, keeping her gaze on Warrick for a few seconds and then she focused on the police officers that were stationary at the front of the house. Her sharp, dazzling white fangs were descended and her soft, beautiful face was marred with fear. Her long, thin fingers clutched the brick as she peered around the building.

A larger figure appeared behind her, clearly a male. He clasped his hands around her shoulders, pulling her backward. She struggled against his grasp and continued surveying the scene.

"C'mon. There is nothing else we can do here." His voice held an authoritarian quality, yet he was not scolding her.

"Just let me see what is happening." Her tone was angry, but it was not directed towards her companion.

"He heard you snap that twig! It will only be a matter of time before he walks over here. We have to go. Now!"

"Just wait!" she hissed, and continued with her observations.

The man grabbed her upper arm and twirled her around to face him, "Sara! We have to go!" He emphasised his final sentence by increasing the strength of his voice. His bright, blood red eyes bore into hers. They gazed at one another for a few minutes, his angry red fought with her furious blue in an unspoken battle.

In the end, Sara huffed and ran off down the alleyway. Her associate took one final look at the scene before him and then took off after her.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you to my wonderful beta sidle77, I couldn't have written this without your help and guidance.

**A/N 2:** Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far. I hope people continue to R and R xD. For followers of my other stories, please read the A/N at the end of this chapter.

**Full Summary: **Not a single member of Las Vegas' graveyard shift CSI team would have believed that vampires truly existed until they found out that one of their own was one. They try to help her control her thirst, however it proves to be more difficult than they thought. Now they face a threat that they could never have imagined; a friend who has the overwhelming urge to kill, and another who has vowed to destroy her kind.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**Chapter 2**

A thunderous bang echoed through the tiny apartment when Sara crashed through the front door. Her fury, at the stage where it was impossible to tame, spewed forth into her home. She smacked a vase from the small, door side table, causing it to shatter into a million sharp, jagged pieces on her lovely— and new— hallway carpet.

"We should have arrived at that house before them!" she yelled. "We are faster and smarter; we should have been able to stop them!"

Sara's companion walked around the broken glass and towards her. He watched as her anger erupted further, "There was nothing we could do, Sara, my pet, nothing we could do to save them."

"We should have tried!" Her eyes had dulled from the vibrant blue of her vampiric state to a misty shade of gray.

"Sara calm down, darling. I understand your fury my dear, as I feel it too. However, we must not let this small mishap darken our skies. We will find the rogues, I swear this to you." He tried to sooth her, but she wasn't accepting the comfort.

"I can't calm down," she snapped.

"You have to try. Sara, settle yourself. You are re-entering your human state. You need to relax." The man stepped behind her and rubbed her arms but she shrugged him away. He sighed, "You are still a Youngblood, with much to learn."

"I can control my nature, you know I can." Her voice softened, she knew she needed to calm down.

"Do I?" he asked. "Lately your anger has been uncontrollable. We do not need another rogue roaming this city's streets, Sara. There seems to be enough of them at the moment."

"I am not a rogue, Miykah. I'm fine," she stated, hurt that he would even think she could enter "rogue" status. She let out a long breath, "Tell me again what exactly rogues are?"

They sat down on the sofa, "Well... rogues are vampires who have let the bloodlust overtake them. As you know, when you enter your vampire state, the bloodlust is powerful."

Sara nodded.

"You need to feed. Rogues do not just feed; they drain the body of blood. They bite to _kill_. They will kill any breed, vampire or human, it doesn't matter to them."

"Something must be done," she stated, before noticing the red, flashing light on her answering machine, telling her she had one message.

She stood and quickly made her way over to the phone and pressed play.

"_Sara, its Grissom. Where are you? Look, I know you're tired, but I need you at the lab as soon as you can. There have been more murders similar to the current unsolved ones we have on the board. I have a feeling we may have a serial killer on our hands. We need everyone on this. Please, call me or get to the lab ASAP._"

"Oh shit! Work! I completely forgot to call Grissom," she shrieked in panic.

"Nevertheless, you cannot go into your lab looking the way you do."

Miykah was right. Sara knew she still looked "supernatural". Her fangs were still partially descended, although they were retracting. Her eyes were not yet their usual warm amber colour, but a charcoal black shade.

"You are a half blood Sara. It takes a while to return to your usual self. Purebloods, well... we don't change, so I guess I cannot fully understand the alterations." Miykah sounded sorrowful.

"I know." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I just hope Grissom doesn't turn up here looking for me."

"If he is near, I will be able to sense him," he assured her. He watched as she sat back down beside him. "Do you ever wish that you were not one of my kind?"

Sara was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected that question, not from Miykah. "No, I have accepted my fate, Miykah. This is what I am, I cannot change it." She noticed his face fall in disappointment. "Nor do I want to," she added.

"Your mother... she was one of our strongest fighters Sara, know that." He placed a hand on her cheek and caressed it softly. "She would be so proud to see what you have become."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Half an hour had passed and there had been no phone call. Gil's worry was beginning to intensify. Sara always let him know if she was going to be late, so why hadn't she this time?

He decided to call her one last time. He picked up the receiver to his office telephone and dialled her number.

There were several rings before, "_Hello?_"

Relief flooded over him like a water fall, "Sara! Where in the hell are you?" He regretted his words; he didn't want to sound so furious, or demanding.

"_I'm at home. I'm sorry I know I should have called but something, uhh, came up... I couldn't get away from it."_

He wondered why she was being so secretive. They had begun to open up to each other more over the last few months; he knew that she knew she could tell him anything.

"Did you not get my message?" he asked.

He listened intently to her voice, "_Yes, just now. I will be there soon; I just have some things to sort out first." _

He exhaled in frustration, "Alright, please try to hurry; we are in desperate need of assistance."

"_Be there as soon as I can._" She then hung up.

Gil placed the receiver back onto its hook, but soon enough the telephone rang. He couldn't believe it. He grabbed it again and placed it to his ear.

He drew in a short breath, and then released it just as quickly, "Grissom."

"Gil my boy, how are you?" The voice on the other end of the line was familiar, and unwelcome.

"Thomas," Gil replied blandly, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Thomas snorted, "Come now son, you should know why I am calling you of all people. You should know the reason of my call. You are a CSI, are you not? You are investigating the cases."

Gil groaned, "Are you talking about the—"

"—unsolved murders, yes I am," Thomas interrupted. "You already know who the killers are Gil. But instead of doing something about it, you are pussyfooting around with the crime lab."

Gil didn't like Thomas's tone, "I have to!" he spat. "I can't just disappear right now. I'm needed here!"

"You are needed with me too. I would say the crime lab is a noble sacrifice at the present moment, Gilbert. Or do you not remember your promise?"

"I remember." Gil's voice was low, barely audible, but somehow Thomas heard him.

"Atta boy. Well, what are you waiting for?" Thomas clearly wasn't finished with Gil yet. "Come and meet me at the latest crime scene. Your investigators are finished with it."

"Now?" Gil asked incredulously. "I can't get out of work now."

"You can and you will," Thomas hissed. "Get over here now, or your life is going to become seriously unliveable."

Gil grumbled that he would get there somehow and hung up. He looked around his office, trying desperately to think of something. He then grabbed his jacket, rushed from the room and out of the crime lab, causing Catherine to raise an eyebrow.

She would ask him about it later.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Miykah paced her apartment. He was restless. Sara knew why. He was hungry, and needed a feed soon. Sara could handle going for days without a blood feed, as she was not a Pureblood. However, Miykah was.

"Please Miykah, sit down," she begged. She didn't need him to lose his self control.

"I feel as if I'm starving Sara. I need a feeding."

"Relax. I can feed you." She stood and sauntered towards him, "I was picked to do so, remember?" She raised her hands and swept the hair sitting at her neck away.

"But, we agreed NOT to do that." He felt himself salivate at the sight of her neck. Her pale, freckled skin looked so appetising.

"Yes, we did agree to that. However, we also said that if any of us was in dire need of a feeling, we would feed each other. Now shut up." She placed both hands on his broad shoulders and tilted her head to the side, exposing her delectable throat to the hungry creature.

As much as he didn't want to bite his friend, the urge to satisfy the painful sensations in his stomach was overwhelming. He brought his head into the crook of her neck, opened his mouth wide and penetrated her skin with his dazzling white, dangerously sharp fangs.

Sara grunted, the burning feeling of the foreign activity sending her nerve endings haywire. It was irritating, yes, painful... definitely. But, in a way, it was also quite pleasant. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly, her short fingernails dug into the thick faux leather jacket he was wearing. Her right hand wandered around to the back of his neck, her nimble fingers playing with the tendrils of silky, jet black, chin length hair. He didn't seem to care. He was too busy. His hands had drifted from his sides down to Sara's hips, squeezing the slight protrusion of bone. Sara gasped.

He moaned softly in reply, instant euphoria had clouded his mind. The taste of Sara's blood was magical; it was just what he needed. He drank his fill and then slowly, carefully, sealed her would with his tongue.

"Vampire saliva is a wonderful thing, as gross as that sounds," Sara giggled.

"Yes, seals wounds and numbs pain," he chuckled back. "If only humans would accept us, they could bottle it for use in medicine."

Sara laughed, "Well, no. I don't think they would, but hey... you never know."

Miykah gazed into her now amber eyes, "Thank you."

Sara smiled, "You're welcome."

They broke their stare. "So, we need to come up with a plan to find the rogues before they go hunting again." Miykah directed the subject back to the matter at hand.

Sara hummed her agreement. "We do, but I have to get to work now. There are no traces of my hidden nature showing anymore, so I really need to get to work before Grissom throws a fit... well, another fit."

"Okay, but when you are finished, we need to meet again."

"Of course." She grabbed her coat, car keys and shoulder bag and left the apartment.

Miykah stood in the now very silent home of his best friend. Things were getting worse, much worse than he had first anticipated. Rogue vampires were terrorising Las Vegas, and little did he realize, Vampire Hunters were on their way.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**A/N 3**: To followers of my other stories. I know I haven't updated in a loooooong time. I plan to update these fics as soon as possible. I thank you for your patience.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you to my wonderful beta sidle77, I couldn't have written this without your help and guidance.

**A/N 2:** Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far. I hope people continue to R and R XD.

I want to add that in this story I'm adding my own twists to the Vampire lore. I hope I make it interesting for you all. =)

Enjoy!

**Full Summary: **Not a single member of Las Vegas' graveyard shift CSI team would have believed that vampires truly existed until they found out that one of their own was one. They try to help her control her thirst, however it proves to be more difficult than they thought. Now they face a threat that they could never have imagined; a friend who has the overwhelming urge to kill, and another who has vowed to destroy her kind

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**Chapter 3**

Gil arrived at the scene around twenty minutes after leaving the lab. He was not looking forward to meeting Thomas; there hadn't been a reason to meet him for years. He parked his vehicle at the end of the street and walked down the deserted sidewalk towards the older gentleman. Thomas stood outside the house, staring intently at it, seemingly lost in thought. His silver hair shone in the street light, his bulky body stood tall, and his face looked worn through years of stress.

Gil stopped his stride when he was five feet away from his elder and Thomas turned to acknowledge his presence. He nodded softly then returned his gaze back to the house.

"You know why I'm here, Gil." he said in a calm tone. "These murders, no human evil could have done them." He tilted his head to glance at Gil, "Vampires, Gil, vampires have invaded your dear city. And we have to stop them from spreading their terror."

"I understand, Thomas, I do," Gil answered. "But I haven't had to perform a kill in several years. Why am I the one you have called upon to help you with this?" he asked, "I work in law enforcement now, Thomas. I can't go around killing people."

Thomas snorted a laugh, "Gil, my son, have you truly forgotten our ways?" His eyes flared with confusion and anger. "We are not killing _people_, Gil. We are killing creatures who are killing us. It's a natural balance. We are becoming the hunters instead of being the hunted. In a way, you could say we are a form of law enforcement as well."

Gil could feel his blood pressure rise, "No, we are not. This clan is not law enforcement, Thomas. It never has been."

The older man seethed, "You have changed, Gil. You used to be a fine hunter. One of our strongest." He contorted his face in disgust, "Now look at you. Running from something you can't run from. It sickens me."

"I still am that hunter!" Gil hissed. "I am not running from this, I just don't see it in the way I once did. I am not backing down. I will find these creatures, Thomas; I can assure you of that."

Thomas smiled wickedly, "Good boy. You need to express yourself more often, Gil. Anger suits you."

Gil scoffed. He could agree with that fact, he was certainly more powerful when his blood was boiling. However, being that way didn't please him.

"Our colleagues have discovered that a clan of vampires have settled in Vegas. The clan consists of Purebloods and Halfbloods, males and females," Thomas told him. "You could say the more dangerous ones are the Halfbloods because they can blend in with humans. Purebloods may have more strength, but Halfbloods have the emotional advantage."

"Who leads the clan?" Gil questioned.

"A Pureblood named Miykah." Thomas's voice was low and laced with venom. "I have been hunting that son of a bitch for years, and every time I find him he escapes my grasp." The man closed his eyes, and audibly inhaled a lungful of air. "The last time we met, a new female had been added to his clan, a Halfblood. He would never leave her side; I am guessing she had been picked as his mate. So I think it is safe to assume that wherever he is, she will be with him. Two birds with one stone."

Gil was intrigued. In all his years of being a member of the Vampire Hunters, he had never come across a clan of the creatures, only solitary ones. "Exactly how long have you been hunting this Miykah?" he wondered.

"I have been hunting Miykah since I was inducted into our fold, so, roughly forty three years," Thomas added, "I have been hunting his female since the early 90s, which was when she first turned."

"First turned?" Gil had only really had dealings with Purebloods, so halfblooded vampires were still a mystery to him.

"Halfbloods are the offspring of a Pureblood and a human," Thomas explained, with a tone of how a teacher speaks to his student. "They are human in every aspect until they reach their early twenties. Once they hit the age of twenty one, they undergo their first turn into their vampire self. It's violent, painful...and their thirst is uncontrollable. Usually a Pureblood takes them under their wing, teaches them the ways of their kind."

"And this happened to Miykah's female?" he asked.

Thomas hummed, "Yes. That is how he and his female met. He wasn't the leader of his clan then, and was instructed to look after the girl."

Gil listened intently to his elder, taking in the information. He asked if Thomas knew the name of the female vampire, to which Thomas answered no. He told him that Miykah had always protected her fiercely, and almost always never let Thomas get close to her. He said that there was only one time he managed to get eye to eye with the female, and that was when Miykah had been feeding, leaving her unprotected.

"Did you injure her?" Gil enquired.

"No, didn't have the chance to. She was in her human mode when I approached her, but as I did, she reverted." Thomas sighed. "She's a powerful creature, exquisitely beautiful too. She shrieked and alerted Miykah to my presence. I had to flee; I was by myself and didn't have the resources to take on two vampires in survival mode."

Gil nodded. He knew how dangerous it was to battle with vampires. It would be suicide to try to deal with two who knew they were being threatened.

Thomas handed Gil a picture of Miykah. He told him to watch out for the alpha male and his clan, and to kill him if he ever got the chance. Gil agreed. He would hunt Miykah and his female. If they were the vampires terrorising Las Vegas, murdering innocents for food, he would enjoy ridding the city of the evil.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Sara rushed through the doors to the crime lab and bolted down the hallways. She ran into the locker room, threw her stuff into her locker and then made her way to Gil's office. However, when she arrived she found the office door closed and locked.

_That's weird, _she thought._ He wanted to see me._

"He isn't here," A familiar female voice told her, "He shot out of here about a half hour ago."

Sara was shocked, "Did he say where he was going?"

Catherine shook her head, "Nope, he just ran out of here. I have no clue what caused him to leave in such a hurry either. I just saw him fly out of his office and out the doors."

Sara huffed.

Catherine laid a hand on her shoulder in an apologetic manner and then walked into the DNA lab, asking the new lab tech about her results.

Sara stormed into the break room, begging her emotions to remain in control. Once she had calmed down, she poured herself a cup of coffee from the seemingly freshly brewed pot.

Greg Sanders strolled into the room, looking positively pleased with himself. He spotted Sara and grinned widely, "Ooooh, you're in trouble," he jeered jokingly.

"Ha ha ha," she said sarcastically. "But I'm not actually, at least not yet."

Greg chuckled, "You will be." He grabbed a cup and proceeded to pour a cup of coffee for himself. "Ahh, I really need this." He cautiously sipped from the cup. "Where were you anyway? I've never known you to be so late."

"Oh, nowhere. I just had some... personal business to take care of. I couldn't get out of it," She replied.

Greg looked at her with his left eyebrow raised. He paused before saying, "Oh, alright, that's fair enough. Don't know if Grissom will accept that though."

They continued to chat comfortably, discussing the case that had come in before Sara had arrived. Greg told her about the scene that Nick, Warrick and Catherine had attended, little realizing that Sara was there as well.

Suddenly, Sara heard a ruckus coming from the corridor. She recognized Nick's voice, then Warrick's... and then a voice she thought she would never hear again.

"Thomas," she whispered to herself. "Oh no..."

She stood and peered around the doorframe, she could see Nick and Warrick arguing with the man, telling him to leave or wait in the lobby. The man was refusing, telling them that he was a friend of Gil Grissom's and that he said it was okay to wait in his office.

She watched Catherine break up the fight, and realized that Catherine knew Thomas, but didn't like that he was here.

"Oh please," she muttered. "Go away, so I can get out of here."

Greg was worried, "Sara, you okay?"

Sara turned herself quickly, "Yes, fine. I, uh, I have to go. Tell Grissom to call me."

Sara observed Catherine take Thomas to Gil's office. She then made her escape, sneaking down the hallway, passed the office and out the door. Gil was just going to have to deal with her not being at work, she was ill.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Miykah paced up and down Sara's apartment. He hadn't left her home yet, and was glad he didn't. He sensed that there was something wrong, and he now understood why he didn't want Sara to go to work that evening. He had just received a pretty panicked phone call from her, saying that Thomas had turned up at the lab.

He waited impatiently for her to come through the door, praying that she was safe, and wasn't in the clutches of that evil snake again. He hated himself for allowing Thomas access to her once before, he was never going to let it happen again.

Sara burst through the door a few minutes later. Miykah was instantly at her side.

"Thomas was at your crime lab?" He did believe what Sara had told him, but hadn't processed the information quite yet. He needed to be told again.

"Yes, wanting to see my supervisor." She was breathless; fear gripped her body, stripping her of oxygen.

"That slimy motherf..." he trailed off, and changed the subject. "How does your supervisor know a Vampire Hunter?"

Sara's eyes were clouded with worry, "I don't know!" she sobbed.

Miykah hated to see Sara in such a state. He was so protective of her; it physically pained him to see her upset. "Oh, sweet Sara. Don't fret my darling, he won't touch you." He wrapped his arms around her, and slowly rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm not scared for me!" she screamed, pushing away slightly. She punched his strong chest with both fists, "He wants you! I'm just collateral damage. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

Miykah sighed. While looking deep into her eyes he said, "Oh pet, he hasn't been able to touch me yet. I've been evading him for forty three years."

Sara's eye widened, her disbelief coated her voice. "Forty three years?" she gasped.

Miykah smiled, "Yeah, I may look like I'm in my mid thirties, but I'm much older than that as you know. He's been after me ever since my father led the clan. He's only after you because you are attached to me, because you were chosen as my mate. But, he does go after all vampires."

Sara exhaled, "We have to think of something. Not only do we have to deal with the rogues, but now we have Thomas Croft to worry about as well."

Miykah acknowledged her words with a groan. He knew she was right, but he had another frightening concern. What did Thomas, leader of the Vampire Hunters, want with Sara's supervisor? He had an alarming suspicion that danger was closer than they thought.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thank you to my wonderful beta sidle77, I couldn't have written this without your help and guidance.

**A/N 2:** Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far. I hope people continue to R and R =).

Enjoy the next chapter! =D

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**Chapter 4**

Catherine was beginning to get impatient. Gil hadn't returned from wherever the hell he had gone to and, to make things worse...much worse, Thomas Croft was waiting in his office. She thought she had seen the last of him back in 1997, why he was showing up now, eight years later, she didn't know. She didn't want to know either. He was creepy and she didn't like him. She couldn't fathom why Gil did. Thomas certainly wasn't the type of man she would have thought Gil would associate with.

She sat quietly on the sofa in the corner of her friend's office; his personal sanctuary from humanity. She kept her eyes on the older gentleman and watched him as he surveyed the room. He glanced at the preserved specimens on the shelves and gazed at the desk, piled high with paperwork.

He chuckled, "He has never been one for organized documentation has he?"

Catherine scowled, "Not particularly," she replied. "However, the recent murders have caused a backlog in paperwork completion."

"Mmm, yes." He directed his stare towards the strawberry blonde, "Those murders, horrible news, I hope you find out who the killers are." _Even though you won't_, he thought, _because I will find them before you do, sweetness._

"Oh we will," Catherine stated with confidence, "We'll search this entire city with a fine toothed comb to find them, Tom." Her expression was cocky, Thomas silently laughed at her ignorance.

"I'm sure you will darling," he drawled.

Catherine's eyes squinted in hatred. She really didn't like this man.

"Oh let's stop the bickering, sweetheart," his voice was sickly sweet. "How have you been since we last met?"

She scoffed, "Ha, like you really want to know. You couldn't care less."

"Oh, you hurt me." He placed his hand over his heart in mock pain. "Truly, Catherine, I'm in pain."

"Good," she muttered, folding her arms and crossing one leg over the other. She turned her back to him, Thomas merely let out a guffaw.

"Catherine, you are ever the fiery red head. Gil must have some fun with you," he sniggered.

Catherine tensed in annoyance. She growled and prayed for Gil to walk through the door.

God, or whatever deity was listening, answered her, and granted her wish. A few seconds later, her friend of over a decade stepped through the threshold and into the room.

"Catherine," he acknowledged. He also noticed Thomas and felt the tension that had filled the air. He knew Catherine wasn't a fan of his friend, in fact, she had told him of her distaste for the man on several occasions. Nevertheless, he knew she respected him enough to deal with Thomas's presence.

She tilted her head forward in greeting, "Gil."

She did not look amused.

He knew he was in some serious trouble.

He sounded strangely nervous, "Uh, I think I can handle things now, Cath. Thank you."

"Mm hmm, alright." She stood up and walked towards the door. She turned her body slightly, and glanced at him over her shoulder, "I'll be in the break room should you need me." She took two steps out of the room, to only step back in milliseconds after, "Oh, and, we need to talk," she emphasised her meaning by pausing in between the first two words. She then left.

Thomas's eyes trailed after her, "My, my, do you have a nice...faculty."

Gil's eyes snapped towards his visitor, "Get your mind out of that gutter, right now!" He was disgusted.

"Whoa, down boy," Thomas chuckled, "Can't an old man have some fun?"

"Not that type of fun, with my friend!" Gil retorted.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." Thomas raised his hands in defeat. "I won't touch her, I promise." He brought up his right index finger, curling all others, and drew an X symbol over his heart.

"You better not." Gil's already bad mood was worsening.

"Remember our agreement, boy," Thomas reminded. He pranced over to stand beside Gil, bending to whisper in his subordinate's ear, "Find Miykah... and his lady friend. Kill them... because if you don't, you will pray for death."

Gritting his teeth, Gil nodded his agreement and watched as Thomas left.

He stormed to his desk and sat down on the office chair. He pulled out the picture of the vampire he was meant to hunt. Miykah, this alpha male looked powerful. He was uniquely handsome, clearly a supernatural beauty. Jet black hair with frightening blood red eyes, he certainly looked dangerous. Gil wondered about Miykah's proposed mate. He speculated as to what she would look like. He had no doubt that the woman would have an exceptional splendour. But, he also knew that this woman was a Halfblood, so she was part human. Her emotions would be an intense part of her personality.

However, there were many women in the world who were like that.

He couldn't survey every woman that walked passed him in the street.

He would be classed as a pervert.

And that couldn't happen.

He figured that he would have to focus on his search for Miykah, find him and he would find the girl.

Miykah may be the Pureblood, the alpha male of his pack, but the female... the female was the one that could cause the most trouble.

He shook his head to clear away his thoughts. He couldn't focus on the hunt at that moment in time; he had other work to be getting on with.

A violent realisation hit him like a freight train. Sara had promised him she would be at work, and she wasn't and he could feel the anger bubble to the surface again.

Sara promised him.

_She promised me! _

_And she isn't here._

_I've had about enough of this!_

He shot from his seat and out the door, for a second time that day. However, this time, he wasn't getting away as easily.

Catherine spotted him.

She instantly blocked his exit with her body, placing her hands on her hips and begun tapping her left foot.

Oh yeah...she was mad at him.

Oops.

He had forgotten about her.

"Just where in the hell do you think you are going?" she asked. Now certainly wasn't the time to ignore her. He was afraid that if he did, and tried to storm past her, his body would never be found.

"Cath, uh, I have to go. Important call... couldn't ignore it, gotta run," he rushed, moving to step around her.

She wasn't having that.

"Not a chance, buddy." She sidled to her left, cutting off his escape.

He sighed, "Cath, please?" he begged. "I have to find out where Sara is."

Catherine smiled devilishly, "Greg told me to tell you that Sara felt awful when she arrived here and had to leave again. She has vacation time left, so I signed her off work for the evening."

Gil was gobsmacked.

Catherine giggled mischievously, "You see, that's what you get when you leave unexpectedly, Gil. You leave me automatically in charge and well, I thought Sara could do with the time off."

Gil huffed, "Cat, you do know we are in the middle of a serial killer case, don't you? We need all the help we can get."

"We can cope, we have before. Sara did not look well when I saw her; she seemed agitated and was very pale. So I signed her off." She relaxed her stance, "Now, where are you going? And you better tell me, you are not leaving me in charge again without a clue as to what is going on."

"I have to...I'm going to see Sara."

Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"I want to see if she's okay. I was a bit...harsh with her earlier. I'm going to apologise."

Catherine moved aside, "Tell her I wish her well."

Gil thanked her and strode into the parking lot. He started his Denali and drove off to Sara's apartment.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Sara lay on her couch, staring at the ceiling. Memories invaded her mind, unpleasant and uninvited. She could feel her fangs nip at her bottom lip, she had reverted again. She was hungry, she realised, for a blood meal. However, she would have to wait. Miykah was not there to feed her; he had left to warn their clan of the Vampire Hunters arrival.

She fought to control her urges. The bloodlust was increasing. She had not had a blood meal for over a week, she knew it was mistake to starve herself of one, but she did anyway. Miykah had questioned her, asked her if she wanted him to find her a suitable meal in a blood packet, stored at the local hospital. She had told him no, she would cope, she could handle it. How wrong she had been.

Even though they had agreed not to feed each other unless it was a dire circumstance, she would have said this was one of those times. Like Miykah was only a few hours previous, she was in physical pain. Her stomach was in knots. She needed blood, and needed it soon.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, the clock told her of the seconds passing by. Every second more painful than the last, her mind fought a losing battle with her body. Her eyes shone a deep blue; her fangs had fully descended and were poking at her bottom lip. She had now fully reverted into her vampiric state.

She felt herself hiss. Pain overwhelmed her. She begged the heavens for Miykah's return.

She heard footsteps from outside of her apartment and bolted upright in an instant, her supernatural speed could be a blessing and a curse. She listened intently, sensing...she would know if whoever those feet belonged to was human or vampire.

She sobbed; the owner of the footsteps was human. And they smelled delicious, even from behind a wooden door.

Her mouth watered. Salivary glands worked in overtime in response to the highly appetising scent. She willed them to stop, and then recognized to whom that scent belonged.

Gil Grissom.

The wonderfully tasty Gil Grissom... in more ways than one.

A rap of knuckles against the wood was heard. She remained in her seat. The last thing she needed was a headline in the paper that read,

**Gil Grissom, supervisor of the Graveyard Shift at the Las Vegas Crime Lab, found horribly mauled at a colleague's home. Suspect... Sara Sidle. Cause of Death... Cannibalism.**

Another knock was heard. She knew that he would know she was home. She couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Sara, it's Grissom. Can you please answer the door?"

She was sure that she heard a hint of concern in that muffled voice.

"Uh, no! I can't answer the door, Gris. I'm really sick, possibly contagious. I don't want to infect you!" she shouted in reply.

"I'll risk it, Sara, please? I need to speak with you." He sounded impetuous. She couldn't understand why.

"No, Gris. I'm not going to let you risk it," she countered. "It's really bad, you don't want it, trust me." She knew that her argument probably wasn't going to scare him away, but she had to try it.

"Sara, why don't you want to see me? I know you aren't really sick."

She knew she was busted.

"Please, Grissom," she pleaded. "Just go away, I'll tell you soon."

That had him frightened, "Sara, if you do not open this door, I will break it down." He portrayed his seriousness by punching the door. "I'll give you until the count of ten."

Sara was stunned. He wouldn't break down her front door, would he?

"One..." Gil punched the door again, "Two..." He braced himself, "Ten!" he shouted, raising a leg to kick in the door.

Sara held her breath, and prepared for a masculine shriek of fear.

Gil was about to thrust his foot forward, until he heard a loud clearing of the throat.

"Excuse me!" snapped the deep voice. "But, just what do you think you are doing to my friend's apartment entrance?"

Gil manoeuvred his body to look at the person who had interrupted him. The man was ever so slightly taller than him, and a lot more muscular. Even though that was the case, Gil was not afraid of the man. He gazed straight in his opponent's eyes.

They were blood red.

A deep, crimson red.

That wasn't human.

Was it?

He was astonished, "Hello," he uttered. "Who are you?"

"I think the more appropriate question here is, who, are you?" asked the man.

"Gil Grissom. Sara Sidle's supervisor," he answered, straightening his spine to ensure his body language told the other man that he was not scared of him.

"Hmm," the other man sneered, "Do you think that gives you the right to try and force yourself into Sara's apartment?" He was obviously incensed, and ready for a fight.

Gil gave the man the once over. It suddenly hit him.

The chin length black hair, the piercing red eyes...

This was a vampire.

This was Miykah.

And he knew Sara.

Sara knew him.

Miykah noticed how Sara's boss had gone from a beacon of strength to an agitated mess. This intrigued him. "Well?" he questioned.

"No," Gil spluttered, "Of course it doesn't give me the right to barge in." Gil moved away from the door, "I'll check up on her later." He then made a beeline for the apartment staircase and marched straight to his vehicle.

Miykah stood there bewildered. He had never seen someone's behaviour go from one extreme to another in such a space of time before. To go from arrogance, to apparent, what could he call it... trepidation? In a matter of minutes was quite, well, odd.

Unusually odd.

He opened Sara's door, and immediately noticed her state. She was curled up on the sofa, her arms wrapped around her midsection.

He ran to her side, brushing his hair from his neck, "Drink Sara, please!"

Sara leaned over him, and sank her fangs into his skin. He hissed his discomfort and felt her drink her fill and seal his wound.

An eye for an eye and a drink for a drink. It was fair; they were back on even terms again.

She wiped her mouth when she felt a small stream of blood run down from the corner of her mouth to her chin. The pain was gone, her hunger satisfied. The blood of a Pureblood was certainly more satisfying than the blood of a human. Well, better than the blood of a human she didn't love.

She still craved the taste of Gil's blood, she was sure he would taste divine.

Miykah gazed at her, "Better?"

"Yes, much better. Thank you." She smiled.

"No problem."

He stood and paced the floor for a few minutes.

"You're supervisor acted really weird when he saw me," he told her.

"Well, if he noticed your eyes, I don't blame him," she giggled.

Miykah snorted, what she said was true. Red eyes weren't exactly natural, not for humans anyway.

"Do you think he knows?" he asked, wondering if her supervisor did know anything about vampires. He knew Thomas after all, so why wouldn't he?

"About our kind?" Sara enquired, Miykah bobbed his head in response, "No, he's a scientist. Vampires are a myth to him."

Miykah grinned, ensuring Sara thought that he believed her.

Truth was he didn't. Gil Grissom knew something, and he was going to find out what.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thank you to my wonderful beta sidle77, I couldn't have written this without your help and guidance.

**A/N 2:** Thank you for the reviews! I'm glad people are liking the story so far =) Sorry for the delay in the update!

Enjoy the next chapter!

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**Chapter 5**

Moonlight cascaded through the bedroom curtains and flowed over the body that lay in the king size bed. Blood glistened and turned the bedding a bright shade of pink. A strong stench of iron filled the air, causing a feeding frenzy to begin. The two shadowy figures hovered over the corpse, fangs descended, eyes shining with a predatory anticipation of the sharp metallic taste about to touch their lips.

The female figure sank her fangs into the jugular of the human carcass. Her long, thin, fingers clutched the shoulders of the unfortunate victim while she drank her fill.

The male had already drunk. Small streams of blood trickled from the corners of his lips and he never once made any attempt to remove them.

As the woman stood, she gazed at her lover and licked her lips.

"What a wonderful meal, darling. Thank you for taking me to this lovely...diner," she sneered wickedly.

He sniggered, "You are most welcome my dear. I thought you would enjoy it."

The woman hummed her approval before dancing around the bed and wrapping her arms around her mate. She kissed him lightly on the lips before moving away from him, "We need to leave here before Sara finds us, not to mention Miykah."

The male growled, "Avina, I don't see why you won't let me slaughter Miykah's mate. With her out of the way, Miykah will be furious and out of control, therefore more likely to mess up. Makes for easy prey if you ask me."

Avina scoffed, "That would make our revenge too simple, Evoric. I want a challenge."

Evoric sighed, "Then, we shall die."

"Oh sweetheart." Avina pranced over to him again, "Don't be so pessimistic. You have the strength to kill Miykah and I have the wit to destroy his filthy, Halfblood mate. We will win, you'll see."

They scurried from the premises, melding to the shadows and following every line of darkness they could find until they returned to their lair. Their bloodlust was satisfied...for now.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Police sirens broke the once peaceful silence of the small suburban street. Red and blue flashing lights bounced off the brickwork of the upmarket homes, officers cordoned off the property in question with the trademark yellow crime scene tape that this usually quiet area of Las Vegas was becoming all too used to seeing.

Gil and Catherine left the Denali and walked up the narrow path to the house. This was the second double shift they had pulled that week and they both knew what awaited them.

The crime scene would be the same again.

A victim with puncture wounds to their jugular or carotid.

And they were nowhere near to finding the killer.

They nodded to Brass who led them inside the house and up to the bedroom where the body lay. They processed and bagged and tagged what evidence they could find. A few nights had passed since the last murder, but it was like they were at the same scene, only with one less victim this time.

Catherine sighed deeply, Gil glanced at her. She swiped her brow with the back of her right wrist and stood from where she was kneeling. She stepped closer to the body and peered at the wound before retracing her steps to let David Philips remove the body from the house.

"How long is this going to go on for, Gil?" she asked. "That is five bodies in total, including the two that Nick, Warrick and I were investigating three nights ago."

Gil looked at her, "Well Catherine, you know as well as I that serial killers do not stop until they are stopped. Unfortunately, we haven't had any luck."

"And we are a person short, so luck isn't really on our side at the moment," Catherine added.

Gil groaned, "Well, if you had told me that you had signed Sara off work for a week rather than a night like you had initially told me, we wouldn't have that problem now, would we?"

Catherine grimaced visibly at his sarcastic tone, "I know, I know. Sorry." She flicked her flashlight around the room, "But I thought she needed the time off."

"She wasn't ill, Catherine. I _know_ she wasn't," he retorted. His voice then changed and was suddenly laced with concern, "I just don't know why she made herself look that way."

She continued to search the scene, "Why would Sara fake an illness? Sara Sidle... who is basically the female version of you when it comes to work?" She stared directly into his eyes. "A determined workaholic that wouldn't take time off even if it was handed to them on a silver platter, all expenses paid?"

Gil chuckled lightly but afterward resumed a neutral tone, "I have no idea, but I _will_ find out."

They finished examining the scene and drove back to the lab. They handed the evidence they collected into the various labs for analysis and then they both headed to his office.

Gil sat on his chair and Catherine sat on the visitor's seat opposite him.

"So what are you going to do about Sara?" Catherine wondered out loud. "If indeed she was faking to get out of work of course. There may have been a genuine reason you know. But it may have been one she couldn't tell us."

"She would tell me," he uttered, though Catherine was able to hear him.

"Maybe she would," Catherine whispered, "But maybe this time, she just can't."

"She would tell me," he repeated, this time adding more strength to his voice.

Catherine exhaled, "Okay." She looked at her friend, who looked tired and... confused? She had known him for a long time, so she knew he was fighting a battle with himself. She just didn't know why. But, she did know, Thomas Croft was the reason.

She watched as he fiddled with a ball point pen, knowing he had fallen into a deep train of thought. She waited. He would talk with her, tell her what was on his mind, she just had to wait there and silently let him know that she was his rock, his shoulder to cry on when things got tough.

"I'm here for you, you know," she murmured. "Talk to me."

He glanced up and met her eyes. He noticed they held concern for him. The bright blue depths urged him to speak. "I just don't know what to do." His eyes fell to his desk again.

She didn't like that her best friend looked so defeated, "About what?" she asked. "The case or Thomas?"

He laughed dryly, "Both."

Catherine reached across the desk and raised his chin. "We will crack these cases, Gil. We will." She paused for a moment, "As for Thomas, I don't know what hold he has over you, Gil. I don't know the history. What I do know, is that you can't let him basically imprison you in your own world."

Gil listened to Catherine's well meaning words, knowing she was right. Thomas had trapped him, imprisoned him, maybe it was time to break one of the chains at least and tell someone who he truly was.

Tell Catherine who he truly was. He trusted her. She was his best and most treasured friend, she wouldn't betray him.

"Catherine," he uttered, "You will never believe what I am about to tell you."

Catherine smiled, "Try me."

"No, Cath, I swear you will not believe me." He took a deep breath and analysed her face. Knowing he should make his meaning clear, he said, "It has been passed on over the years that what information I am about to give is myth, pure myth that has became a popular fictional aspect recently." Catherine listened intently to his words, "Cath... this "mythical" creature is indeed real, very real and very dangerous."

"What creature? Unicorns? Centaurs? Werewolves?" She was clearly fascinated with the line of conversation.

"No, none of those. Nothing animal-like. Vampires, Catherine. Vampires are indeed real creatures."

Catherine gasped. She thought the crime scenes looked like something from a horror movie. "Vampires? Like, the un-dead walking corpses?"

He laughed, "No. That is one of the many things that have been made into the myth. Vampires are not walking corpses. They are like a, hmm, how to explain?" He tapped a finger on his chin and then swiped a hand over his face. "You know how there are many breeds of dog, like German shepherd, Rottweiler or Doberman?"

"Yeah," she drawled, crossing her arms over her chest in an impatient huff.

"Well, vampires are like a different breed of human. Though, they are much stronger, faster and much more emotional than usual human beings. They have brighter coloured eyes, females have bright, electric blue eyes and the males have blood red eyes." He paused for a moment, taking time to let Catherine process the information before continuing with his description. "They are extraordinarily beautiful, with incredible sex appeal and with that, they are also incredibly sexual creatures. They are fiercely loyal to their mates. They do have fangs, and do drink blood, which along with the speed and strength I suppose, are the only facts in common with the myth."

"Wow," she whispered, "But, how do you know this? Are you one?"

Gil scoffed, "No! No, I'm not, but I am a part of, and descended from, an ancient coven of Vampire Hunters. As I said, vampires are dangerous. They can only survive by drinking human, or vampire blood."

"So you think," she drew in a breath, "That these murders are the work of these creatures?"

"Yes, and I don't think, I _know _they are."

"And Thomas..." she trailed off.

"...Is the leader of my coven," he finished. "That's why he's suddenly appeared after all these years. The last time you met, a pack of vampires had settled in Vegas and we had to get rid of them. We think the same thing has happened again."

She raised an eyebrow, Gil knew she was struggling to believe him. He sighed, "You don't believe me, do you?"

Catherine leaned back in her chair, "Well, Gil, it is a lot to take in. I...I don't know if I...you were the one who taught me to believe in science. It isn't scientifically possible for vampires to exist, surely?"

"Oh but they do, Catherine. I swear to you." He made sure to keep in eye contact with her. "Here." He bent his body slightly, reaching into a desk drawer. He pulled out a long chain. "This is the chain I was given when I was inducted into the coven. I was eighteen."

She took the necklace from him and trailed a thumb over the raised silver that depicted a crucifix and a wooden stake. She muttered an "Oh my God" under her breath, but Gil was able to hear her.

She sat back in her seat, visibly shocked from this new information. "What are you going to do?" she asked, the tone of her voice now telling him that she was open to the idea of vampires existing.

"I have been given the duty of finding the dominant couple of the pack. Finding them, and destroying them," he sighed.

Catherine ran quiet. She knew what that meant. Gil would have to kill.

After a pregnant pause she murmured, "You could be killed, instead of being the killer."

"I know what I am doing," he assured.

"I want to help you."

He gazed at the worried woman, "Cat, there is nothing you could do. You know nothing of my world, and I cannot risk you being hurt."

"But—"

"—No, Cath," he cut her off. "I will not put you in harm's way."

Catherine's worry grew and exploded into an angry rant, "What about you?" she screamed. "I can't let you sign your own death warrant! If these things are as dangerous as you say then you need help, and someone to have your back! I am going to help you, whether you like it or not!"

His own anger broke through its barrier, "I know what I am doing! You do not. I have battled these creatures before. Cath, you have a daughter. Imagine what she would have to go through if I or anyone else has to take Lindsey to one side and say, "Sorry, Linds, but your mother was horrifically mauled at work tonight. You are now an orphan, but don't worry. You still have a killer grandfather and a doting grandmother to take care of you."

The look on Catherine's face couldn't be described as anything less than disgust. Her eyes watered with fear and fury. Gil knew he had perhaps stepped a bit too far over that invisible line that says "Stop now" and it was confirmed when he felt a sharp wave of pain grace his left cheek and his head was tossed to the side.

Catherine had slapped him. Hard.

She stormed out of the office. Onlookers instantly knew she was furious and made sure to stay the hell out of her way. They knew not to mess with an angry red head, especially if that red head's name was Catherine Willows.

Gil was stunned. He knew what had just happened was not a good thing.

He chased after his friend, following her into the locker room. He closed the door behind him and immediately entered an instinctive apologetic pose.

"Catherine, I am so sorry," he said softly, begging the heavens for her to turn and face him.

She did. Tears had tumbled from her eyes and left glistening stains on her usually rosy cheeks, "I'm scared for you, and you throw it back in my face."

"I didn't mean to bring Lindsey into it, Cath. I just thought it would discourage you. But I said it in the meanest way possible."

She believed that his remorse was genuine. She stepped forward and hugged him gently, "I can help you. It doesn't mean I am going to be in any immediate danger. You control my involvement, but let me help."

He was hesitant, but hugged her back, like an older brother protectively holds his younger sister, "Okay, as long as you do everything I say. Do not try to wing it."

She nodded and pulled away from him, "I promise."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

A few hours passed. Gil could still feel the sting from Catherine's slap and realized that there was an angry red mark on his cheek where her hand had met skin. He didn't care though; he was focused on speaking with Sara. Shift was over, so he figured he would pay her visit.

He walked up the concrete steps to her apartment door. He rapped the wood with his knuckles three times and stood back.

He heard footsteps and the rattle of a security chain a couple of minutes later. His eyes followed the door as it opened.

"Gris." She took in his appearance, dressed in a black button down shirt and dark blue jeans.

"Sara, can I please speak with you?"

She opened the door wider to grant him access into her home. She walked over to her sofa and sat down, motioning for him to do the same.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"No, no. I'm fine. I just need to speak with you."

"Okay," she replied. She brought her legs up, curling one under the other and raising a knee. She clasped her hands around the raised knee and waited for him to continue.

"Why haven't you been at work? I know you aren't sick. Why lie to me? To Catherine..."

"I've just been feeling run down lately," she answered. "I felt I couldn't be at work, not right now."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he questioned. His voice portrayed his incredulity at the situation.

"I felt I couldn't. I'm sorry."

"I'm here for you now, Sara. I thought we were trying to rebuild our friendship? To do that, we need to talk, share things."

Sara laughed lightly, "I do, at least most of the time. It's you who doesn't share things, Gris, at least not to me."

He hummed, "I know, and I am working on that. I swear." He stared into her amber eyes, "Who was that man who came to see you a few nights ago?" He thought he would change the subject. Perhaps he could get an answer from her as to why Miykah was at her home.

"Oh, that was Miykah. He's a dear friend; I've known him for years." She uncurled her legs and dropped them over the side of the sofa, "He was just visiting."

_Well, at least it's now confirmed that that was definitely Miykah_, he thought. "Okay, I was just wondering."

Sara smiled. She liked that they were growing increasingly comfortable with each other's presence. Their friendship was slowly, but surely, developing stronger than ever before. However, the barriers built up over the years were not going to be easily torn down. Sara considered the brick in the walls to be every fear the enigmatic Gil Grissom had. Every time she knocked a brick from the wall, the closer she came to him trusting her with his inner core, his true self. Her goal was to knock all of the bricks from the wall, remove all of the fears he had about her and their relationship. If she could do that, she knew he would let her into his heart.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" she asked softly, paying close attention to his body language.

Surprisingly, he didn't flinch, or show any signs of being uncomfortable with her question. "I would like that."

She grinned widely, showing off the gap between her two front teeth, "Great. Uhh, let me fix something for us then." She quickly stood from the couch and pranced over to her kitchen. She speedily fixed two omelettes, veggie of course, and brought the plates over to where they were sitting.

They ate in silence, content with each other's company. Afterward, they chatted amicably. Sara rose up from her seat and took the empty plates back into the kitchen and placed them in the sink. She felt a presence behind her and knew that Gil had trailed after her.

He helped her clean the dishes that lay in her sink. A thick atmosphere had descended, laced with sexual tension as Gil stood behind her and threaded his arms through the gaps hers had left at her sides. He dipped his hands into the warm, soapy water, grabbing the plate Sara had wrapped her finger around. After Sara had washed it and placed it on the drying rack, Gil slid his hand to her hips, unable to resist the temptation.

Sara gasped. She concentrated on the path his hands were taking. One drifted upward, under her shirt and over her belly. He spread his fingers over her abdomen, gently pulling her back against him. She let out a faint moan when her back collided with his chest, her body coming alive under his touch.

His lips were in her hair, she heard unintelligible whisperings in her ear, his hand on her belly was sending wonderful sensations down to her core. Things were rapidly spinning out of control.

Her right hand reached back and clutched his hair, she felt him smile against her throat. She moaned loudly when he began to place butterfly kisses at her pulse point. It was a guttural, totally sexual, primal moan that sent shivers through Gil and caused his body to enter a high state of awareness and arousal.

Sara writhed in his arms; her hips began to circle backwards brushing against his groin. He pulled her harder against his chest in response.

Things abruptly came to a halt when a load bang echoed through the apartment.

Sara jumped out of Gil's arms in shock and turned to see a very stunned Miykah standing by the door.

"Miykah..." she mumbled.

Miykah was speechless. This was the last thing he expected.

Gil on the other hand, pulled Sara closer to him in a possessive manner, completely unaware of his doing so. "I'm sorry you had to see that, but clearly Sara had no idea you were coming here." The tone of Gil voice was territorial, like a male animal who had won the female of his choosing.

"I'm aware of that," Miykah said picking up the bag he dropped when he entered the house.

"Miykah, I...I didn't know you were going to be here this early," Sara stuttered.

"I know," Miykah replied, "I thought I would make my way here a bit early to discuss our...arrangements."

This intrigued Gil, "Arrangements?"

Miykah stepped forward, "Don't worry," he said calmly and entirely free of jealousy, "It's not what you think. Sara and I are friends, we are not in love, nor are we having sex." He glanced at Sara, "Are we going to talk?"

Sara nodded and strode to her bedroom to change her clothes, which had been drenched in water and suds during her little make out session with Gil.

Gil raised an eyebrow. He was speaking to the creature he was supposed to kill, and so far the vampire had by far exceeded his expectations in nothing but a good way. However, he knew he had a hold over Sara. He had only ever seen Sara obey one man instantly and that was himself. He knew Sara would do anything he said, but he never once abused that aspect of their relationship. Yet, now he was witnessing her do the exact same thing, with a vampire no less.

Miykah knew this was the only real chance he had to speak with Sara's boss about his suspicions. He inched closer, so only Gil could hear him. "I know you know what I am," he stated matter-of-factly. "I also know who you are. Does Sara?"


End file.
